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James Anderson wants to play in the Hundred this summer and has registered his name for next week’s draft, ESPNcricinfo has learned.
Anderson has not played professionally since his final Test appearance against West Indies last July and has been working for England as a consultant coach this winter, including at the Champions Trophy. But he signed a one-year contract with Lancashire in January to cover the 2025 season, and is now eyeing a first appearance in the Hundred.
It is nearly six years since Anderson played white-ball cricket, and over a decade since his most recent T20 appearance, but he hopes to play in the T20 Blast for Lancashire this year. Anderson has entered the draft – which will be held on March 12 – without a reserve price and could still feature in the Hundred as a wildcard or injury replacement if he does not find a suitor.
Anderson will turn 43 shortly before the Hundred starts on August 5, and would become the tournament’s second-oldest player after Imran Tahir (in 2022) if he plays this year. Michael Hogan and Wayne Madsen have previously appeared in the Hundred in their 40s, and Faf du Plessis will be 41 when he plays for Southern Brave this season.
More than 300 male overseas players have registered for the draft and will be competing for 10 spots across the men’s Hundred teams, with 14 already retained or recruited directly. There are availability doubts for most active international players due to clashes with bilateral series, while a two-week clash with Caribbean Premier League will rule most West Indies players out of contention.
Noor Ahmad, the Afghanistan spinner, has signed up with a reserve price of £200,000, the Hundred’s highest salary. He is expected to sign for Manchester Originals, having played for their new co-owners RPSG Group’s SA20 team (Durban Super Giants) earlier this year. London Spirit have the first pick of the draft, and are thought to be interested in signing Jamie Overton after he left Originals.
Jason Roy and Dawid Malan are among the domestic players who have entered the draft with a reserve price, and may consider playing overseas if they are not picked up. Mark Wood, who is yet to play in the Hundred, has a £200,000 reserve price and is only likely to feature in the tournament as a late replacement.
Other recent England internationals expected to attract interest include Rehan Ahmed, Zak Crawley, George Garton, Lewis Gregory, Dan Lawrence, David Payne, Reece Topley, David Willey and Luke Wood. Several recent England Under-19 internationals also feature in the longlist, including Rocky Flintoff, Ben McKinney, Harry Moore and Archie Vaughan.
The ECB confirmed last week that Jamie Smith and Chris Woakes will be the designated ‘central contract’ players at London Spirit and Welsh Fire respectively this year, as revealed by ESPNcricinfo. Both players have previously turned out for Birmingham Phoenix.
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